These clips come from William Forsythe, an American choreographer who has been living and working in Germany for decades. He was the main choreographer for the Frankfurt Ballet for many years and now has his own company. He considers himself to be a "ballet choreographer", but as you'll see, he is interested in renegotiating the definitions and structures of ballet. One of Forsythe's legacies is his training program for new dancers in his company. It is called Improvisation Technologies. The first clip is a soloist from Forsythe's company performing many different ideas involved in Improvisation Technologies like anatomical representation, inscription, and bridging. The second clip is some of Forsythe's work reimagined for video. Notice recurring themes between the two videos. Check this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iPScI15bUkE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cufauMezz_Q
Corollary Question(s):
What is the role of imagery in dance? Do you feel it is important to have imagery in mind while dancing? Why or why not? How can you utilize the principles of "Improvisation Technologies" to support and challenge you in our Contemporary class?
From these videos, I can see that imagery plays a major role in dance because the dancers aren't just aimlessly moving, they are remembering their specific movements and location in space then building more movements off of them. I feel that imagery is important to be thinking about while you're dancing because in class when we are doing a choreographed movement or even an improvisational movement, my movement changes after Kyle has given us something to imagine or picture in our minds. It allows me to delve deeper into the passion and expression of my dancing because I am thinking about something imaginary but concrete, instead of having my mind blank and just focusing on the physical movements in my body. When you are picturing the space around in you in a different way, it can enhance the message you are trying to get across and make it easier for your body to emulate your thoughts. Inspired by William Forsythe's "Improvisation Technologies", I will aim to move with freedom but purpose and also use the imagery of my movements to create meaningful dance.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching these videos, I see the importance of imagery while dancing so it doesn't just seem like one is randomly flying their arms around or kicking their legs, but I also don't believe there is anything wrong with sometimes just simply moving aimlessly and without a purpose. If one wants to engage an audience or move with emotion and make that movement come alive, creating an image will definitely enhance and reach that purpose, but if one merely wants to loosen up and just dance freely, they could dance without an image in mind.
ReplyDeleteWhen I dance I often find myself thinking an emotion or adjective because it is how I want to portray my movements. For example, in class when we do the "walk walk walk walk reeeach reeeach", I think of a special person at the end that I really want but then they are too far so I must reach really far to get him/her, and then I get right back into passionately reaching for them and wanting them. From an audience member's perspective, this may look very strong and emotional because I am passionate about getting to this person that it will reflect in my movements. Therefore, when one pictures an image it can be easier to portray and illustrate your thoughts and emotions through movement. This principle of "Improvisation Technologies" will definitely support and enhance my movements in contemporary class and I will continue to imagine a space around me to help emulate my emotions and thoughts through movements.
I think for dancers, having certain imagery in mind that they want to portray can help enhance their movements and expand their expressive range; and it may also help some dancers interpret different moves and decide how to best carry them out in order to relay the image to the audience. Having said that, as was discussed in an earlier topic, not every dance is meant to tell a story or depict a specific scene. Sometimes dance can be just for the sake of movement and need not be based off of some sort of imagery. However, while imagery involving a specific story or scene to be represented by a dance is not always necessary, it is helpful, when dancing, to think of imagery in terms of your own body and its movements. By keeping in mind how you look as you dance and comparing it to how you want the audience to view you, you can better decide how to manipulate your body to carry out different movements. I think that using “Improvisation Technologies” would be a good way to enhance the dynamics of my dancing. Rather than just mechanically going through all the steps learned in class, it would be interesting to put my own twist on each of the movements and see what happens.
ReplyDeleteAfter I watched these two clips of Forsythe's work, I did see that imagery plays a significant role in the dance. To perform a good dance, it's not just complete the complex movement, what the dancer should do is to bring his or her emotions into the dance. Only the dance with emotions will appeal to the audience. In fact, while dancing with imagination, the dancer can not help deepening himself into dance. Honestly, when I saw the video, especially the second clip, I was shocked by these perfect dancers. Forsythe is really a genius to create such amazing art. Just like the information Kyle gave on the top of the paragraph, Forsythe is interested in renegotiating the definitions and structures of ballet. Inspired by William Forsythe's "Improvisation Technologies", I will use my imagery of each step of movements in my contemporary dance. Actually, in our dance course, we learn with imagery all the time. Such as the beginning of each class. We image ourselves are in the ocean, and feel the water flow over our body. We relax our body completely to find a perfectly suitable position to stand. Or we imagine our feet are melt while touching the floor. Every time we use our imagery, we relax ourselves in a larger degree to make our movement or our posture as soft as possible, which shows the beauty of fluidity. All in all, it's not like doing an assignment, which just remember the movement in order to complete the dance . What we need is to feel the beauty of dance, to relax our body and to make every task much more valuable. Thus I will bring my imagination all the way while dancing, with thoughts and emotions.
ReplyDeleteI think imagery is a really important component of dance. For me, having imagery in mind while dancing really does help me get the moves down and I feel like it also helps the dance class, as a whole, look more uniform. As an example, when we're told that a certain movement should look like we're hugging somebody with our right arm, the whole class has the same image in their mind so we're more likely to look uniform and together performing that specific dance movement. That's why I feel like imagery is such a crucial part in dance. I think that it makes dance movements look more expressive and beautiful, while at the same time, helps the performers learn their moves faster. The dance videos show the strong connection between dance and imagery. The "Improvisation Technologies" clips inspire me to focus more on imagery in dance class and to use it to make my dance movements more expressive.
ReplyDeleteI think having imagery in mind differs from person to person, and it also varies depending on where the performance is taking place. One thing I really love about this class is that while I'm in it, most of what is bothering me, stressing me out in my outside life, goes away. A lot of this has to do with the act of actually moving, but much of it comes from having certain images in mind during certain parts of a combination, warm up...even towards the end of class, when we get ready to close. If I'm at the front of a line, however, and can clearly see myself in the mirror, I might not have an image so firmly rooted in mind. Rather, watching my movements in the mirror, studying how I could improve, and just being grateful to be in the body I'm in, able to participate in something not anybody could do, puts me in a different place than if I wasn't facing the mirror. This is why I mention that the environment plays a part as well. Based on the videos, I will definitely try to utilize improvisation techniques more readily, especially as it relates to the objects or people I interact with.
ReplyDelete---Charlie
The role of imagery in dance carries a strong component in utilizing one’s imagination in order to incorporate an expressive embodiment. It is amazing to transfer your mentality and energy towards an imaginative scenario that alters your expression due to focusing your mentality towards imagery. I believe it is extremely important to have imagery in mind while dancing because it helps execute the movements and making that moment become lively and expressive. Especially in the two clips of William Forsyth, imagery
ReplyDeletedefinitely plays a huge role in their expressive embodiment to create a story through their movements. Both videos were very beautiful and it has opened my perspective in the use of imagery in dance as a means of interpreting and utilizing a story. In both videos, it really took an imagery mentality in order for the dancers to project the perfect energy and emotion to the audience. On the other hand, dancing may be just the beauty of movement and embodiment; but, I personally believe it helps to take the role of imagery in dance in order to portray a more believe-able/expressive emotion. I think taking the principles of Improvisation Technologies to challenge our contemporary class will help expand our movements and mind in a larger realm that will cultivate our embodiment to be more expressive. This will create an expression of full passion and heart with the role of imagery in dance. For example, it helps to imagine we are seaweed being pushed by waves in order to let our body move freely. This opens my horizons to focus on the beauty of imagery in dance in order to make my movements more expressive through the scenario/imagination.
I think imagery in dance is really important to maintain emotion and life into the dance. With imagery, a dancer can go beyond the technicality of the dance moves and move into a realm much larger than mere movement can provide. The audience can feel engaged in the story the body is depicting. Dance is a story with the body and a story requires imagination in order to properly show what the dancer is thinking or trying to explain. I think imagination and imagery also allows dance to continuously transform into something new as well because every person has a different imagination or image in mind. Without it, there would not be new forms of dance or movement. Dance would be very boring and repetitive. I think "Improvisation Technologies" is an example of how imagination can bring new dancing into the picture and I can use this example as inspiration to use my imagination and improvisation in class. Every persons mind thinks differently and if we can all use our different thoughts in class we can also create beautiful, unique movements.
ReplyDeleteI believe that imagery has a very important role in dance because it opens up the dancer’s imagination and makes their dancing, movements, and facial expressions seem real and alive to both themselves and the audience. The role of imagery in dance adds to the expression and story played out in any dance routine and enables the dancer to visually form an image, situation, or sensation in their minds that can then be carried out and seen through their movements.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of imagery, I think about how you ask us to imagine our goal when we dance forward in wide powerful stances. When we have a clear goal in mind, something we want to reach for, or something that makes us feel powerful or gentle, it is easier to carry out that movement believably, with the appropriate facial expressions. With a picture of visual image in mind when I perform my movements, I find the movement less forced on my part, and I’m sure the audience will believe my movements and facial expressions more.
I can utilize the principles of “Improvisation Technologies” to both support and challenge me in this dance class as I hope to learn how to be even more expressive in my dance movements and learn to dance from every part of my body, including my fingers and toes. It is in this way that I will learn how to embody dance and the movements my body can create, if I actively choose to be more expressive in my movements through use of imagery.
- Nicole Wong
In class we use imagination to pull ourselves to different standards to embrace something that we did know was there. Imagination in dancing is a great aspect. give the choreographer a chance to break boundaries while giving the dancer the chance to move like they never thought they could.The role in imagination in dancing its simple it give an opportunity to change dancing as we know it.Do you feel it is important to have imagery in It can open up so many ideas about what a choreography dance portrays.Just like a reading a book or a simple poem many analyses different things keeping that imaginary concept in mind can give the performer as well as the audience a different outlook. Improvisation Technologies can help change contemporary dancing by using his imagination through out his performances and chore o. it can help open up a door to brand new ideas and express a different time of dance as we know it or just give a broader definition to one that already exist.
ReplyDeleteImagery is very important in dance because this allows the dancers to perform more convincingly for themselves and the audience. It is especially important for us as students in a dance class to have an image in mind because instructors and choreographers can tell you the steps but it is essentially up to the dancer to portray it in a way that is meaningful. Dancing with images in mind is a struggle but I can utilize "Improvisation Technologies" to improve my dance technique and style by keeping an image in my mind while dancing to portray the underlying meaning of the choreography.
ReplyDeleteImagery allows the performer to get into a type of movement easier. By portraying a motion that is familiar to the dancer and that can easily be imagined, they can embody that character and own the movement. I feel that being able to imagine the big picture of the movement will make the piece more successful and believable. Having a lively imagination will also make the dance more exciting for the performer as well as the audience. Using "Improvisation Technologies", allows the performer to visualize the movement from a different point of view. By using these techniques, I can improve my movements by imaging the movements as shapes and colors rather then just following the motions.
ReplyDelete-Nicole B.
Imagery allows for the imagination of the mind to expand the dancing from mere movement to an expression. Imagery allows the dancer to go beyond basic movements. The mind can allow the body to reach the far-fetched movements because imagination goes beyond just the basics. It is important to have an image in mind while moving because it change the way you move. For instance, in class, the exercises at the beginning of class where we imagine ourselves as seaweed changes the way we move. When we imagine a huge current washing over our bodies, I can feel the entire room undulate and wave as opposed to merely moving randomly and softly. Since there is such a difference, the "improvisation technologies" will be of use to our class. For example, instead of creating a sharp star wars move, we can imagine creating a line, precise and clean like the dancer in the first video.
ReplyDeleteWatching these videos gave me a new perspective on the role of imagery in dance. Before I thought it was useful for visualizing and memorizing movement, but it seems like it can function as the backbone for choreography. In the first video, the imagery that the dancer was using was seamlessly translated to the audience, which was a really cool thing to experience.
ReplyDeleteIt also seems that imagery helped the dancer be more precise in his movements, which was beautiful to watch. At some points I found myself wondering about a sort 'chicken or egg' problem, and I wondered if the lines being drawn on the screen were planned beforehand or if they just came as an after effect.
In my personal experience having imagery has helped me visualize not only what movement should look like, but also how it should feel and other aesthetics of the movement. I really liked the exercises we did in class where one day we imagined ourselves as seaweed and another day as a flag in the wind. It was so interesting to really think about the differences in movements based in those separate images. Even though the movement is basically the same (move the body from side to side) the two images produce such different movements.
I want to challenge myself to do more imagery visualization in class, and improve my attention to detail through this method.
I think imagery is important in dance because it helps me to be present in what my body is doing. In the videos I noticed that the dancers used a lot of facial expressions in their performance and I think this comes naturally when dancers use imagery and are able to connect their mind to their body. It also helps the audience connect to the movements. Whenever I am uncomfortable or nervous dancing I feel that it really shows because I lose that sense of presence. Trying to maintain that sense of imagery even when I am uncomfortable would probably be a good practice.
ReplyDeleteImagery in dance is one of the most important tool in dance. When a person dances there should be a picture there trying to draw, a story there trying to tell something that should move and inspire others. When I dance I try to feel the music I try to draw a picture of what the music portrays or my take on what the music portrays. When someone dances there shouldn’t just movements and music that’s not dancing that’s choreographed movement. A dancer should visualize what there trying to express through there movement. When dancing the dancer should already have a mental picture and with that picture, use it to inspire different movements for example trees. Trees are strong, stable, but also elegant. A tree maintains control over all of its branches but is moved by the wind. Now in a dancers perspective the music should move the dancer like how the wind moves the tree. The dancer is the solid base as strong and big as the tree and the music is the wind.
ReplyDeleteIn both of these videos the dancers employed imagery, but in vastly different ways. It seemed as though the solo dancer had shapes in his mind, he used his arms and legs to draw these shapes on the 3d invisible canvas around him. In the piece "One Flat Thing Reproduced," dancers used the limitations and angles of the space to inform the way in which their bodies moved. Although the set pieces did make for interesting divides within the space as well as another level of dance floor, I believe the dancers could have put these parameters on their movements through their imaginations alone.
ReplyDeleteI am a strong believer in mind over matter; when I'm sick, if I think well, I trust that my brain will inform my body. I see the same overarching truth within dance. Our bodies are accustomed to moving in certain, regimented, safe ways; by creating imagery in our mind's eye, our brains can trick our bodies into moving in new ways. I loved the exercise in class where our feet were butter and the floor was a giant pancake; this metaphor caused me to move in a more lugubrious, fluid fashion that could not have been achieved through thinking about pure mechanics. In the following weeks, as well as for the rest of my life, I challenge myself to fully trust in the power of imagination, knowing that my body will follow my brain.
The table piece was quite amazing, and the solo was also interesting to watch as it relates to the imagination. Both pieces were both fairly linear focused (movement demonstrated line variations). The solo piece uses graphics, which could be used guide the audience in mapping out what ever parallels, lines, circle,and curves are being explored. The group piece was higher intensity, I thought the traveling on the table was unique, and the levels he chose in working with tables allowed for a lot of exaggeration in level change. Also, in particular moments dancers were rigid and then fluid in others, which added some extra dynamics to the piece. Imagery is a sort of mechanism, where the body's movements are devised from reference to something. Imagery takes a person to an alternate level of movement because it is almost an embodied experience as the mind works with the body to execute movement by experimenting with the body in way that is multi-sensorial. For instance in class, when we are asked to close our eyes and imagine we are sea grass under the water, I imagine the muted sounds of being underwater, the force of a wave passing, what sea grass feels like, what types of things I may see etc... Exploring movement through imagery provokes an embodied experience where you're moving as your body translates, in an authentic way, what your mind is imagining.
ReplyDelete